Effacé Devant
by Lily and Shadow
Summary: Near is a student at a prestigious ballet academy. He sits safely at the top of his level, content with his placement and the order of things. At least until a new dancer named Mello arrives. AU, kind of a crack idea. For munnins-memory. HIATUS
1. First

**A/N:**Hola. So this is an interesting little thing that just sort of came out of the blue. Actually it has a rather funny story. Munnins-memory and I were at a friend's dorm watching Bones, as is our nightly ritual, when she mentioned Princess Tutu, which she now says I should read. This came up because I trained in ballet for 15 years and I'm supposed to start teaching her the basics in the fall. So we got to talking and the conversation went from ballet to Princess Tutu to manga in general to fan fiction to Death Note. And I said it would be interesting to see Near as a dancer. And this is the result. It's a little heavy in ballet terminology, so if you want to check out www (dot) abt (dot) org (slash) educational (slash) dictionary it might be helpful. That's the American Ballet Theater's dance dictionary, and ABT is pretty much the end all be all of ballet in the US, at least from where I'm looking from. But I'll also define the terms at the end, though my definitions aren't so great. Feed back would be appreciated so that I know if it's readable. The title is a position (efface) that hides one side of the body and displays a closed foot (devant) to the audience. That said, on with the chapter.

Thank you to munnins-memory for the idea.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Death Note.

* * *

It was completely silent except for the boy's soft footfalls against the wooden floor. No one was here. No one would be here for at least another two hours. But of course, that was why he had come. He loved the studio first thing in the morning. He loved it before the other dancers arrived, before the sounds of their shoes and the sounds of the piano and the sound of the instructor's voice interrupted the beautiful silence. He loved when it was just him alone in the quiet with the early morning sunlight streaming in through the sheer curtains, illuminating the patches of rosin in the corner of the room and the swirls of the stuff across the floor from the shoes of the pointe dancers.

Without a sound he sat down at one side of the room beneath the barre to begin stretching. A white shirt and white tights in conjunction with the boy's pale skin and white hair made him seem almost a phantom in the faint light. He focused on how he held his hand as he brought it up over his head and down to his ankle, allowing his mind nothing more complex to dwell on than these movements as he enjoyed the simplicity of it. He loved this, the way it was all so familiar. He didn't remember much from before, but the dance had always been there. It was the one consistency in his life.

Once he had finished floor stretches he rose to his feet and began his barre routine. It seemed, however, that no sooner had he brought his foot up to begin stretching than the door creaked open. Grey eyes flicked to the door to take in the figure there. His hair was blonde, cut so that it ended just below his jaw. He was slender, almost too much so though it was obvious that when he got a bit older every one of the boys at the academy would be jealous of him, and the black shirt and tights he wore made him seem far too thin.

Blue eyes focused on the boy at the barre, a scowl settling on the fair face.

"Who are you?" the boy asked. He had an odd accent that Near wasn't quite sure he liked.

The white haired child pulled his foot back down, settling for standing in a very loose second as he surveyed the other boy. He had never seen the blonde before, so he assumed that the boy was either from a lower class or he was new to the academy. "My name is Near."

"No one is supposed to be in here right now," the boy replied.

Near nodded. "I know. That's why I'm here."

Again the boy scowled, but he didn't comment. Instead he simply chose a spot on the opposite side of the room and sat down to begin stretching. Near began to bring his leg back up to the barre and paused. Once more he glanced over to where the other boy sat, his forehead currently pressed to his right knee.

"You never told me your name," Near said. His voice was soft, but it was enough to break the quiet of the room.

The other boy sat up quickly, turning his full attention to the child speaking. Near found that this focus was a tad unnerving. "My name is Mello."

Again, there was the accent. Near couldn't help it. As much as it was against his nature, he had to know. "I've never seen you before. Are you new?"

There was that scowl again. "Yes. I arrived two days ago."

Near nodded. This boy would be in one of the lower classes, he was certain. But he had to hand it to the boy, he had determination. In silence that wasn't quite friendly or hostile the boys finished their stretching. Near had already reasoned that it would do no harm to work at least a little and just do his best to ignore the other boy's presence. He came here for the peace it granted. He would not be so easily put off as to surrender his morning ritual at the drop of a hat. Besides which, this was part of what kept him one step ahead. The extra work didn't seem like much, but in the end it was quite helpful.

At least, Near was going to just carry on as usual until Mello began to dance. It was only a few steps at first, halting and self-conscious, as though not sure he should be exposing himself to this extent in front of someone he didn't know at all. Dancing in class was one thing, but working impromptu without even the help of music gave such an intimate look at the dancer that it was difficult to do this in front of others. It seemed, though, that Near's dismissal only encouraged the boy. Mello appeared to have a vain streak, something not uncommon among the dancers Near had known. That didn't bother him. Vanity was almost always an indication of weakness. What bothered him was when Mello closed his eyes and let himself go.

Near landed a jeté entrelacé and paused as he caught sight of Mello. His form was far from perfect, that was the first thing that came to Near's mind, but aside from that his dancing was beautiful. Développé derriѐre to a near perfect arabesque before drawing his foot forward, stepping out, and reaching up as though he could almost catch something – or perhaps someone – that had been taken from him. There was so much emotion just in those simple movements. It was beautiful and yet sad and Near found himself wondering where the boy had come from.

As Mello moved on, into a rond de jambe à terre to a series of chaîné turns across the floor, Near shook off the surprise and went back to his own practicing. Still, it was unnerving. Certainly the dancers here were passionate, every last one of them, but the fire that he had glimpsed in this boy might be enough to singe them all. And although Near knew he sat safely at the top of his age he found himself more than a little intimidated. After all, dance reveals the soul of the dancer and anyone with that much fire should be regarded with caution.

* * *

1.) pointe - a type of ballet done only by women. That's the one with the shoes that have the flat toe and the ribbons at the ankles.  
2.) barre - exactly what it sounds like. It's a wooden bar used for stretching and form work.  
3.) jeté entrelacé - a turning leap.  
4.) Développé derriere - a movement that brings the back leg up behind the dancer to an extension of some sort.  
5.) arabesque - a position where the dancer balances on one leg while the other is extended behind them.  
6.) rond de jambe à terre - a very simple move that drag one foot in a half circle on the ground.  
7.) chaîné - a type of turn done on the ball of the foot that keeps both legs straight and simply steps across.


	2. Second

**A/N:** Wow, it's been a long time. Finally I have another chapter of this. I have an 8 page paper due tomorrow, so of course I've found inspiration for all the things I haven't worked on in months. Isn't that always how that goes? Anyway, onward!

Thank you to Lawli-pop, munnins-memory, , ZoneRobotnik, AlmightySponge, Sarapsys, XyaoiXstoryXfangirlX, TheDarkWingedAngel, and DizzyIzzy-04 for reviewing! And thank you to all of you for being so patient with me!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Death Note.

* * *

Classes began at eight and Near went the rest of the day without seeing the boy from that morning. He suspected that the boy was in lower class, his lack of attention to form considered. All in all he really didn't have much time to consider this. From eight to noon there was class with Master L or one of the other older dancers, then lunch, and after lunch tutoring until five, then dinner, a bit of free time from six until seven, then evening classes with the girls from seven to nine. It wasn't a bad schedule, not overly taxing, but it did keep the students busy. Six hours of dance a day and five of school work because they were all still young and Mr. Wammy, the master of the house, wouldn't allow them to fall behind in their studies. After all, not all of them would make it as dancers and Mr. Wammy was wise enough to recognize this.

Near was actually quite far ahead in his studies. He had been told before that with a mind like his it was a shame he was so set on being a dancer. He had dismissed this comment as ignorant. Dance required intelligence of a slightly different kind, though knowing anatomy and physics was incredibly helpful. Still, he looked forward to a time when he could focus more on dancing. When he got to be L's age all of his time would be spent on dance. There was so much he could improve if he only had the time.

Now, though, was time for sleep. It was eleven o'clock, already past when it was recommended that the younger dancers go to bed. Sleep was important since they all had to be in top shape. That was why the house staff was so particular what they ate and how much rest they got. Really, though, Near didn't mind. This place was his home. It was home to all of them. After all, none of them had anywhere else to go. This academy was special in that all of its dancers were orphaned. All of them lived full time at the school and had been brought to this place because they showed promise in their art. As far as Near knew, it was the only place like it in existence.

After hours it may have been, but Near still couldn't sleep. And so he got up and crept out of the room that housed several of the boys from the upper class of the children's age group. He knew precisely where he was going. His footsteps were all but inaudible as he crept down the hall to another room. This one held a rarer type of student. These were not dancers, but musicians. Mostly they were pianists, though there were a few string players. These were also training for the ballets, though as musicians rather than dancers. Noiselessly Near opened the door and peeked inside.

"Matt?" he called softly. "Matt!"

The young pianist was asleep in the far corner of the room. Careful to make as little noise as possible, Near snuck over to where he lay. A pale hand was clasped over the musician's mouth and immediately Matt sat up, struggling.

"Hush, Matt!" Near shouted at him in a whisper, keeping his hand firmly over the redhead's mouth.

Taking a deep breath, Matt raised a hand and pulled Near's hand away from his face. The glare he shot the tiny dancer held none of the venom he aimed for and his voice sounded more out of breath than angry. "Jesus fuck, Near. How many times do I have to tell you not to do that? I swear to god you're going to give me a heart attack."

Near completely ignored Matt's protests, moving straight to him objective instead. "Come walk with me."

Matt stared at him for a moment, nonplussed, but Near just stared back with a blank expression. Finally the young pianist sighed and got up, shaking his head. "Fine. But if you get me in trouble again, I swear…"

"We won't," Near assured him flatly. Without waiting for Matt he headed back to the door and down the hallway. The sound of footsteps behind him assured him that Matt was following. The redhead followed in silence, waiting until they were out on the grounds to speak.

"What's wrong, Near?" Matt asked, jogging a bit to catch up with the young dancer. "You're tense."

Near looked over his shoulder at the musician, pale grey eyes revealing nothing. In the same flat voice he answered, turning away from Matt again. "Come with me tomorrow morning."

Matt glared at the boys back. He knew that Near always went to the practice halls in the morning far earlier than Matt ever got up. "Near…."

Near didn't look at him, just spoke quietly. "It'll give you a chance to practice playing for someone. You're not allowed to play for the classes yet."

"Come on, Near," Matt prodded.

Near turned suddenly to face him completely, something fierce burning in his cold eyes, though his voice was still flat. "There's a new boy."

Matt watched him for a moment, studying his expression carefully. "Why are you so worked up? He can't be good enough to rival you."

When Near hesitated Matt's jaw dropped. "No. He can't be."

Near shook his head fiercely. "Not yet. His form is terrible. But his eyes… His dancing… He has passion. I've never seen anyone look like that when they dance."

Matt shook his head. "Passion alone is not enough for a dancer. You've said so yourself a thousand times. Master L has said so more often than that. Not for a musician, not for a dancer, not for any of us."

"Yes," Near said softly. "But the moment he learns to harness that, none of us is safe."

Both boys were silent for a few long moments as they walked, Matt scuffing his feet along the frost hardened ground while Near moved silently beside him. A few moments more and they were back to the doors of the dormitories, saying their goodnights before they separated down their halls.


End file.
